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Real-World CAFE Performance Exceeds NHTSA Targetshttp://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2014/10/real-world-cafe-performance-exceeds-nhtsa-targets.html
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2014/10/real-world-cafe-performance-exceeds-nhtsa-targets.html#commentsWed, 22 Oct 2014 14:54:45 +0000http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/?p=260173Real-World CAFE Performance Exceeds NHTSA TargetsCorporate Average Fuel Economy, CAFE for short, is a series of regulations designed to improve the efficiency of vehicles sold in the United States. Automakers will be required to average 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025. That may sound like an impossibly tall order but manufacturers have been slowly improving their efficiency each... more]]>

Corporate Average Fuel Economy, CAFE for short, is a series of regulations designed to improve the efficiency of vehicles sold in the United States. Automakers will be required to average 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025.

That may sound like an impossibly tall order but manufacturers have been slowly improving their efficiency each year. But in spite of this continued advancement NHTSA projects there will be a shortfall.

The government agency anticipates real-world performance will lag what’s supposed to be achieved. They estimate automakers will offset shortfalls with alternative credits. Think of these as extra points earned by selling electric vehicles, cars and trucks that can run on compressed natural gas or for pushing various hybrid technologies.

Still, NHTSA may not be right about this potential deficit, which they indicate could be more than eight miles per gallon by 2025. The projected achieved score is estimated at 46.2 MPG while the mandate is, again, 54.5.

A study penned by Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle of UMTRI, that is the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and indicates that automakers have actually been outpacing the CAFE regulations for the past three years. They’ve been beating them without resorting to alternative credits.

UMTRI also indicates that CAFE performance has consistently increased since 2008. They estimate that if this trend continues automakers will exceed government fuel-economy requirements. But still, 54.5 is a huge number and it’s unclear how mass-market, full-line manufacturers will meet this ambitious target.

]]>http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2014/10/real-world-cafe-performance-exceeds-nhtsa-targets.html/feed2more]]>More Households Going Carlesshttp://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2014/01/households-going-carless.html
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2014/01/households-going-carless.html#commentsFri, 24 Jan 2014 15:32:41 +0000http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/?p=231105More Households Going CarlessSince 2007, the number of U.S. households abandoning cars is increasing according to a new study. “Recent studies have shown that — per person, per driver, and per household — we now have fewer light-duty vehicles, we drive each of them less, and we consume less fuel than in the past,” lead researcher Michael Sivak... more]]>

Since 2007, the number of U.S. households abandoning cars is increasing according to a new study.

“Recent studies have shown that — per person, per driver, and per household — we now have fewer light-duty vehicles, we drive each of them less, and we consume less fuel than in the past,” lead researcher Michael Sivak said in a study released by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).

The study noted the trend in 21 of the 30 largest U.S. cities. Of course, areas with better-established public transportation are more likely to see people abandoning personal transportation. New York City was the most prominent case, followed by Washington D.C.

Interest among millennials for new car purchases – a hot topic among manufacturers – will weigh heavily on future automobile sales. Young car buyers have different demands than previous generations and automakers are scrambling to reassess what makes cars sell. Technology and cost of ownership are chief concerns among younger drivers and the push for greater in-car technological integration is directly tied to that.

]]>http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2014/01/households-going-carless.html/feed0more]]>Ford Sourcing Student Ideas for Safety Technologyhttp://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/11/ford-sourcing-student-ideas-for-safety-technology.html
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/11/ford-sourcing-student-ideas-for-safety-technology.html#commentsThu, 08 Nov 2012 00:32:15 +0000http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/?p=164830Ford Sourcing Student Ideas for Safety TechnologyVehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) promises safer roads and a group of undergraduate students will have the chance this year to test their minds at creating innovative ways to use the technology. “We are confident that the greatest innovation will come from students who have essentially grown up using technology,” said University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) director... more]]>

Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) promises safer roads and a group of undergraduate students will have the chance this year to test their minds at creating innovative ways to use the technology.

“We are confident that the greatest innovation will come from students who have essentially grown up using technology,” said University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) director Peter Sweatman. “They see connected technology and automatically think how it can be used to make the greatest impact. This is a chance for them to be part of the future of transportation.”

Ford in partnership with the UMTRI is offering multidisciplinary groups of students the chance to participate in a year-long program that will test V2V communication between vehicles and roadside equipment. Each team will get help from UMTRI mentors and will have access to two two-way dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) devices.

“The competition encourages the development of new mobile applications on the connected vehicle platform that we hope will generate creative thinking about how to grow the potential for V2V technologies in the future,” said Paul Mascarenas, the chief technology officer at Ford. “This research is pivotal to the delivery of the next generation of Ford driver assistance technologies and will globally benefit Ford customers, other road users and the environment.”

Each team will also get access to vehicles where their projects will be installed as well as a $2,500 stipend to offset additional costs.

The winning team will take home $5,000, while second place will get $2,500 and $1,250 to third. Idea submissions are due by December 1.

]]>http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/11/ford-sourcing-student-ideas-for-safety-technology.html/feed0more]]>Toyota, University of Michigan Conduct Teen Driver Distraction Studyhttp://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/09/toyota-university-of-michigan-conduct-teen-driver-distraction-study.html
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/09/toyota-university-of-michigan-conduct-teen-driver-distraction-study.html#commentsFri, 14 Sep 2012 00:02:03 +0000http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/?p=155215Toyota, University of Michigan Conduct Teen Driver Distraction StudyToyota is teaming up with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) to conduct a major study of 5,600 teens and adults about distracted driving. The study is based on a national telephone survey consisting of newly-licensed drivers between 16 and 18 years and parents of drivers in the same age group. “Motor vehicle... more]]>

Toyota is teaming up with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) to conduct a major study of 5,600 teens and adults about distracted driving.

The study is based on a national telephone survey consisting of newly-licensed drivers between 16 and 18 years and parents of drivers in the same age group.

“Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one cause of death for teenagers, claiming more than 3,000 lives in the U.S. each year,” said Chuck Gulash, CSRC Director. “We are pleased the Teen Driver Distraction Study will help parents and teens understand their roles as driving mentors and mentees. We look forward to working with the world-class researchers at UMTRI to build upon the strong body of academic research that already exists and sharing our findings and recommendations with the public.”

A portion of the sample group are from the same household, representing one of the first studies to do so. It will examine teen attitudes towards distracted driving activities such as texting and driving in order to identify effective methods to keep teen drivers safe on the road.

More importantly, the study will examine the role parents have in driving behaviors, along with exploring the potential impact of any gaps between parent expectations about teen driving and what reality is for teens behind the wheel.

The Japanese automaker’s involvement with the study is headed by its Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) which was launched at the beginning of last year with a five-year, $50 million commitment from Toyota. The CSRC works closely with North American universities, hospitals, research institutions, and more in order to continue developing safety technologies to make our roads safer.